Graceless Unison
by ToastyAzzy
Summary: When Ryou began his work shift, he never expected it would end so violently, or that his life would be so thrown out of whack by a single person. OvanxHaseo.
1. Gathering of the Unwilling

Let's start things off with a disclaimer: I don't claim to own any characters, plot elements, or themes from .hack, being but a simple and humble fangirl. This fic will contain male-male romance and plenty of spoilers for all of //G.U. and also //Returner.

For your reference, Misaki Ryou is the human behind the PC Haseo. This fic takes place more or less one year after the end of //G.U., making him about 18 years old.

Ugh, so I have to provide about a million and one author's notes about this fic. First off, the premise of this story is check-writing…which is, as I have since discovered, incredibly rare in Japan. *headdesk* So please don't bother calling me out on that, cuz I'm already aware of the problem, but since it's such a big element in the fic I can't fix it without rewriting the whole thing.

Also, this fic uses my own image of Masato Indou, since it was written before G.U.+ gave us a canon representation of him. I hope this doesn't put anyone off. If you don't know who the heck I'm talking about don't worry, that's about to be revealed anyway.

Now that you are prepared to suspend your disbelief, enjoy!

**Gathering of the Unwilling**

"Is it all right if I write a check?"

Misaki Ryou twitched at the unexpected question. He had already rung up the customer's large purchase, and it would be a pain to cancel it, but… "I'm sorry, our store doesn't accept checks. Please understand, it's policy." His words were polite, but his voice reflected the boredom he was sinking into late into his afternoon shift.

"Ah, it's the only way for me to pay at the moment, but if you can't…"

Ryou glanced up to look the customer in the face, and was mildly surprised. Something about the features was familiar, though the man was dressed in a coat and hat that concealed much of his face. Feeling sympathetic, he made an offer that was stretching it a bit. "Well, I can ask the manager if he'll authorize it. I'd have to get him anyway to cancel the purchase."

"Thank you." Ryou nodded and paged the manager. Though he had been working at the grocery store for more than a year, because he was still young and "green" he had to have manager supervision for a number of actions. The older man hurried over to Ryou's lane in a practiced routine.

"Hey, this customer wants to pay with a check. He's got a pretty big purchase, so…" He glanced at the pile of bags filled with mostly bread and instant noodles. "Almost twelve thousand yen."

The manager frowned deeply before nodding. "All right, fine, as long as he's got I.D."

"Can I see your I.D., please?" Ryou asked in a monotone, turning to the customer.

The man looked concerned, but fished a government-issue I.D. out of a battered wallet. As the man filled out a check in hurried scrawl, Ryou studied the I.D. and the man's face.

_"Tasogare Ryodan." That's a weird name… The kanji reminds me of…the Twilight Brigade…_

Startled, Ryou looked from the card to the man several times before it sank in. He had seen that face on the news briefly after the Rebirth. Indou Masato—Ovan.

"You…" Ryou dropped the card from his shaking hands. "Tasogare" looked up, curious, and Ryou could see Ovan the PC in the faintly amused half-smile and the stoic glasses. Ovan, who had disappeared as a character and a person, who hadn't been around to witness Shino's awakening, who left them all wondering where he was and whether he was even alive. Who had tested Haseo to the breaking point in order to save The World and his sister, who herself didn't seem to know his current whereabouts. Who said drastic, shocking things and then slipped away before Haseo could recover and reply. Unable to speak as anger flooded him, Ryou leaned over the counter and punched Ovan across the face.

Several things happened at once: The customers waiting behind Indou screamed or jumped back in shock; the manager grabbed Ryou around the waist, bellowing at him, and dragging him back from the counter; Indou stood motionless with one hand to his struck cheek, still smiling faintly and only pissing Ryou off more. Ovan could smile through anything, despite all the pain he had caused with his schemes and misjudgments. The manager had a good grip on Ryou now, and turned him away from the till to hiss into his ear, "Take off your uniform, punch out, and never come back here again. Your last paycheck will be mailed to you," before shoving him in the direction of the back room.

Ryou could hear the manager calming the customers and finishing the transaction smoothly, assuring everyone the violent employee would not be serving there any longer. _Well, there goes my job_, Ryou thought bitterly, his ears ringing. His reaction had been pretty crazy, even he had to admit. But dammit, Ovan had made everyone worry so much, when he was fine all along…

The outside air was cool on his face as he stepped out of the building sans apron. Rounding the corner onto the main sidewalk, he was surprised to see Indou stalled by the door, arranging the countless bags so he could feasibly carry them. Ryou stopped as he passed to watch the older man struggle with them.

"So you're alive."

"I would assume so, by the looks of it," Indou grunted lightheartedly, hefting the last bag only to drop another. "Would you mind helping me get organized?"

"No, I think I'll let you do it yourself. So you can _get stronger_." Ryou leaned against the store window, watching Indou lazily.

"I suppose that's your prerogative. Though," he winced when he dropped another bag which crunched loudly, "I feel as though I'm actually getting weaker at the moment."

Ryou sighed at Indou's apparent denseness. "Ovan."

The man froze. "What?"

"Ovan. You know, from The World."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Indou muttered. He quickly gathered his purchases and began to walk awkwardly down the sidewalk. Ryou moved easily in front of him.

"I have a hard time believing that, since the name on your fake I.D. was oddly familiar. Remember that guild you created—and abandoned? Along with everyone who depended on you?" Ryou's voice dropped to a growl. He was getting angry again, and Ovan's denial wasn't helping.

Indou stopped momentarily to look Ryou up and down. "Who are you, and why are you asking me these questions?"

Ryou took a deep breath to keep from hitting the man again. "I'm Haseo, you moron."

---

Two other, smaller notes: In Japanese the Twilight Brigade is "Tasogare no Ryodan". Ovan probably uses some obscure reading of the kanji as his alias, since for names you can pretty much read the kanji however you like (Death Note's "Light", anyone?), but Haseo reflexively reads it as "Tasogare Ryodan". Secondly, 12,000 yen is close to $120, which is a lot of money to spend on bread and noodles…


	2. Guilty Universe

Disclaimer: Second verse, same as the first. Let it apply to all subsequent chaps as well.

One small note – I use the spelling "Ina" since that's the localization canon.

Now I actually have room to talk, phew! Well, this chapter is where I get to make my own sense of what happened to Masato after the Rebirth and all that, since canon is quite cryptic on the matter. If you wholeheartedly disagree with my interpretation, please feel free to skip those explaining paragraphs as their specifics have little effect on the rest of the story.

**Guilty Universe**

"Haseo…" Indou dropped his bags and grabbed Ryou in a rough hug that squeezed the breath from him.

Ryou managed to remove himself from Indou's grip after some struggling. "We're in public," he muttered angrily, but Indou continued to smile, looking only slightly abashed. Indou's display of affection only made Ryou more upset—how was he supposed to stay pissed at Ovan if the guy went around giving him hugs?

"Sorry. But, it's been so long since I've talked to anyone from The World. I missed you especially, Haseo."

"My name is Misaki Ryou," Ryou barked, grudgingly gathering up a few of the shopping bags.

"Misaki." Ryou frowned when Indou neglected to add an honorific. "Can we go somewhere to talk? There's so much to catch up on."

"All right. How about your place so we can dump this food?"

"My home at the moment…isn't exactly ready for guests. Do you mind if we go to a cafe?"

"Fine, but you're paying," Ryou grumped.

"That's also a problem. I'm out of cash at the moment and if I make a withdrawal it will reveal my location…" Indou kept smiling as Ryou huffed and twitched angrily.

"Fine! Fine! I'll pay! But I'm not carrying these." And with that he shoved the bags he had picked up into Indou's already full arms and began stomping off in the direction of the nearest coffee shop.

They sat in the corner with the shopping shoved against the wall, and Ryou sitting sideways to avoid looking at Indou's face. They said nothing until the waiter arrived. Ryou ordered a black coffee, and Indou some kind of sweet blend. If he was living on bread and instant noodles he was probably craving sweets, Ryou had to figure.

Once the waiter had left, Indou cleared his throat to begin conversation. "I'm sure you have questions to ask me. Go ahead."

"Damn right I have questions," Ryou replied with a fist to the table that made the sugar bowl clatter. "Let's start with where you've been all this time! You know, I was starting to think you were dead!"

Indou chuckled a little at that. "After I became a wanted man, so to speak, I couldn't stay out in the open. And of course I couldn't go online as Ovan, or from the same IP address. So I packed up a few things, and visited Ina to make sure she would be all right. She was released from the hospital and is staying at home with our parents, of course. She was sad to see me go, but I'll be able to come back gradually as CC Corp covers up the incidents more and more. I'm sorry to have worried everyone, but I've been getting along all right."

"So you did see Ina. You weren't a total ass like you were the last time you disappeared," Ryou grumped. In a way he was jealous of Indou's little sister. At least she knew he was all right after the Rebirth—still alive—and only had to worry about whether he was eating enough. If he were caught he would be all over the media, so no news was good news.

"I wonder, what did you _think_ happened to me?" Indou inquired with a smile as the waiter returned to slide cups in front of them. "If I had died they would have found my body, don't you think?"

Ryou sulked over his coffee, which was scalding and extremely strong. It fit his black mood. He really should have considered that; Indou's body would have been found, probably still wearing his headset, and certainly he would have heard about it. CC Corp wasn't that fast to cover up news, as demonstrated by the last few crises that had leaked. Ryou felt rather stupid as he realized most of his worry had been for nothing. "Well, you could have just disappeared…maybe…been absorbed into the game…" Even as he said it it sounded like a ridiculous idea.

"In a sense I was," Indou mused as he added even more sugar to his drink. "Carbohydrates," he explained offhandedly. "If you're paying for it, I might as well get as much energy out of it as I can. But the game… In a way it did absorb a part of me. I often have dreams of playing, sometimes speaking to you or Shino, playing with Ina, and so on. After the Rebirth it seems I've been intertwined with The World. AIDA probably had some hand in the connection as well." He took a pensive sip and a frown formed in his brow. "Too sweet," he murmured.

"You mean you sometimes return to The World? Without a computer?" Ryou squinted at Indou, but the man didn't appear any more insane than Ovan himself. "Wait, you said you've talked to me in your dreams before—did that happen often?"

"Only twice." Indou put his chin on one hand and his eyes unfocused as he tried to remember. "Both times it was in a very white place, like the Creator's Room. You looked different…a form I hadn't seen before. Both times I felt as though you had called for me. The first time you needed help, but the second time I felt as though The World itself were calling to me." He smiled wistfully. "You were much nicer to me there than you are here," he said jokingly. Ryou choked on his coffee.

"Well, then I didn't even know if it was really you. Could've been a figment of my imagination. Besides, usually you remember someone as a better person than they really are. You're terrible in real life. Maybe I just dreamed up a nicer version of you. Wouldn't be hard."

Indou held a hand over his chest as though struck, but his face was laughing. "You're so cruel, Misaki! You sounded different the last time I talked to you. You sounded like you missed me."

Ryou turned his chair fully around with a maddening scrape, so that he faced the wall. "Fuck you," he mumbled with the cup clutched to his chest. The last thing he was going to admit to was missing Ovan. Always jerking everyone around, manipulating them in whatever way he wanted, and never explaining a damn thing! If that had been the real Ovan he'd talked to after the Forest of Pain, why hadn't he said he was all right? He just showed up, spouted some nonsense, then left before Haseo could get a word in edgewise…

"You're terribly cute when you're sulking," Ryou heard Indou mutter behind him. He bristled and spun around, knocking the chair over.

"You are—You—GAH!" Ryou sputtered helplessly. He couldn't think of any words to describe how pissed off he was, so he just glared at Indou so hard he could have popped a blood vessel. And Indou—kept—smiling—

"Here's your check," the waiter announced, apparently having decided to hurry the noisy teen out of the shop as fast as possible. Ryou glanced at it, put a wad of bills on the table, and stomped out of the cafe. In the cool air once again, he sagged against the wall. "Cute"…the nerve! Deciding to let Indou hang, Ryou made his way to the train station that would take him home, shadowed by his personal proverbial storm cloud—and someone else.

---

I do hope Masato doesn't seem too OOC, but it's entirely possible my own silly ideas have influenced my representation of him too much. I see him kind of like a big dorky nerd, who's badass and mysterious on the outside but squishy and affectionate on the inside, like he is with his sis. Argh, I'm better at writing HasEn…


	3. Genesis of Ultima

**Ugh, here is where I start feeling like Masato is way OOC. Maybe he's been humbled by his living conditions in the past year. Maybe I suck at writing him. Who knows! But man, it's kind of creepy when he acts all lovey.**

Can you tell yet that I don't actually ship this pairing? Weird that I would write it, I know, but my not shipping them is pretty much the reason they do not secks and make this fic material. I wrote it mostly to satisfy all the dang evidence I see for their relationship, even without slash goggles on. I can definitely understand how easy it is to ship them, especially if Endrance is too girly for one's preferences. So much canon gay to choose from…

Genesis of Ultima

Ryou wrenched the key in the lock of his apartment's front door. He was still angry, enough to take it out on inanimate objects and innocent bystanders. In fact, if he hadn't been stomping on the terrace so loudly, he might have heard the footsteps that had been tailing him all the way to the building and right up to his apartment. As he yanked the door open, however, a hand fell heavily on his shoulder and he jumped in surprise. Instinct made him grab the hand and twist it at an uncomfortable angle.

"Ow—Haseo… Misaki, it's me!" Ryou let go, and recognizing the voice, immediately regretted it.

"Dammit, it's not enough for you verbally molest me in public, now you have to stalk me all the way home? What's wrong with you? And—where's all your food?" He realized, looking Indou up and down, that the man had apparently abandoned his grocery bags at some point.

"I couldn't follow you if I was carrying all those things," Indou explained offhandedly. "And besides, if you say yes to my request, I won't need them anymore…"

Ryou's eyes narrowed to slits. "Oh? And what's your request?" His fingers found the doorknob, ready to pull the door closed in Indou's face in necessary.

"May I stay with you for a whi—"

Ryou whipped the door closed and grinned sadistically at the moan of pain from the other side. "Misaki… Please… I'm living in squalor…"

"If you need help cleaning then hire a maid. They take checks."

"That's not what I meant… I don't have a home right now. I'm sharing a one-room apartment with a lazy college student who's always out drinking and uses my rent money instead of getting a job. I haven't had anywhere to live since I went into hiding. Please, can I at least stay for a few nights?"

Ryou leaned back against the door to think, surveying his own state of living. His apartment was comfortable and contained a full three rooms, not including the bathroom, and his parents paid half of the rent for him since he was still trying to decide what to do about school. He only had one twin bed, but the sofa was comfortable enough, and he didn't eat at home very much so there were plenty of odds and ends in the fridge and pantry…

But he'd be sharing a roof with Ovan, and that was simply not acceptable. Where had _his_ friendship and compassion been when the Twilight Brigade was failing, when Haseo was struggling with his newly awakened avatar, when Ryou needed answers… But now might be his opportunity for answers. Now that Indou would be cornered in his home, he could force information out of him if need be, even bribe him with food or money. Ryou had the upper hand now, and he would be a fool to waste it.

He opened the door without a word and followed Indou inside with his glare. The man did look awfully shabby, especially up against the fairly clean comfort of Ryou's home. "Do you have any clothes or anything you need to bring here?" he asked with false concern.

"No, it was about time to get new ones anyway. I only keep three changes of clothes at a time so they wore out pretty quickly…" Indou was looking around the apartment in wonder. Ryou wondered how long it had been since he'd seen the inside of a decent home. "This is a really nice place for a kid your age who isn't even going to university."

"Don't push my sympathy," Ryou snarled. "Don't forget I'm out of a job too now, because of you."

"You didn't need to be so violent," Indou muttered, though it seemed like an afterthought. He was looking pensively from the bedroom door to the couch, and Ryou had a feeling he knew why.

"Very cute, but you're sleeping on the sofa. It pulls out into a bed. I might be taking pity on you but I'm not giving up my bed for you, or anyone for that matter."

"I was thinking we could share it," Indou said with a smile.

"It's a twin, there's no room…" His eye twitched as he registered what had just been said. "I hate you," he growled, and stalked into the kitchen to replace the coffee he hadn't finished at the cafe. Indou laughed quietly.

Ryou put the headset down and watched the lights of his computer gradually flicking off. He tried to log into The World at least once a day, even though he was still busy trying to find a new job and college entrance exams were approaching (_again_, he noted sourly; he had failed to get accepted anywhere the previous year, mostly due to his involvement in The World, which had sucked up all of his time and focus). If he strained his ears he could hear sounds of movement from the sitting room where his roommate of what was nearing a month was puttering about.

He stretched, shuffled to his bed, and crawled in, already dressed for sleep. He had been dozing for a few minutes when the bedroom door opened a crack, silently. Ryou shoved his head further into the pillow to shield his eyes from the blinding sliver of light.

"Misaki, are you awake?" Indou asked, standing slightly inside the doorway. Ryou grunted in response, so he continued. "This is important, so please listen. I want to apologize for abandoning you and Shino. You know I had a good reason, but I could have…handled it a lot better."

"Hnh," Ryou said into his pillow, a half-asleep version of, "Apology accepted." Indou seemed satisfied with this, and began to close the door, but opened it again as another thought struck him.

"I'm also sorry that I haven't always been clear in telling you things. I will try to be more straightforward." He pulled the door almost shut, then stopped again, but without reopening it. Ryou could barely hear his soft voice beyond it. "I should start now. Misaki, I really do find you irresistible."

The door clicked closed, and Ryou sighed in relief as the light disappeared. Then his lethargic brain finally registered what had been said.

_Damn_, he thought slowly but with dread filling his gut. _How could the man get away with doing _exactly_ what he was apologizing for, and in the very same breath?!_

---

Oh, and "Genesis of Ultima" in plain English means "beginning of the end".


	4. Generation of Unity

This is where Returner really comes in. And it starts to show that I get Masato's family and given names mixed up. And…geez, that's all I really have to say. Hard to gush about stuff I wrote a year ago, I guess! Pardon boldness where one might expect de-italics; that simply didn't provide enough visual emphasis for my purposes.

**Generation of Unity**

"_You _**punched**_ a customer?"_

The phrase was only an echo of many similar questions that had been flung at him during job interview after interview. Ryou had done his damnedest to keep the story from leaking to his potential employers, but his old boss was a tricky one and somehow his misdeed was now linked inexorably to his name. He would have given up the job search long ago if his parents hadn't insisted that he get work or move out of the apartment they were paying for until he got into university. And leaving the apartment wasn't an option anymore, what with Indou having become a permanent fixture there.

"Look at all the trouble you caused me! Every problem I've had since I first started playing The World seems to have stemmed from you and your stupid schemes…" Ryou muttered at thin air, since the man in question was out shopping for groceries. Ryou was in the process of making dinner for two, which had startlingly become habit over the past month or so. "And your stupid face, and your _stupid_ way of talking…" He punctuated each point by violently lopping off another slice of carrot.

His speech was interrupted when the apartment door banged open and shut, hailing Indou's arrival. "I'm back," the man announced needlessly as he strolled into the tiny kitchen and dumped armfuls of paper bags onto the table there. "I picked up a newspaper on the way home. Good news." He waited until Ryou finished chopping vegetables and turned to look at the taller man's beaming face.

"CC Corp has finally decided to take most of the blame for the AIDA incident and its results. Seems authorities finally unearthed enough evidence to make them take responsibility."

"Oh, and is Hell freezing over? Are the weathermen calling for showers of blood? Because it sounds like the world might be coming to an end…"

Indou laughed, but also gave Ryou a sideways look. "Don't you understand what that means? I'm not a wanted man anymore!"

When Ryou didn't respond right away, Indou's face began to fall. "Well, I thought that might be cause for celebration," he added, hoping to provoke some reply.

"I guess we can start by packing your things up," Ryou said slowly.

Indou looked hurt, and sidled out of the kitchen. When Ryou finished cooking and called for him, there was no response. He poked his head out into the living room, but it was empty. Face taking on a serious frown, he peered around the sofa, wondering if Indou had left and if he had, how he had managed to do so silently. "Indou-kun?" he called again, wondering if he was in the bathroom. The sound of a vague response came from Ryou's bedroom.

"I told you not to go into my room, it's creepy," Ryou complained as he opened the bedroom door in a huff. Indou sat at Ryou's desk, wearing his headset and typing rapidly. "What are you doing on my computer, you jerk?"

"Oh, he's found me. Hold on." Indou spoke into the mic before removing the M2D to face Ryou. "Shino is on."

Ryou faltered in his blustering. "You're talking to Shino?" he said dumbly.

"I owed it to her. It's the first opportunity I've had to talk with her or anyone online since the Rebirth. Well, really talk to them, in a normal setting. She's very understanding…" Indou trailed off, looking pleased but distant.

"She is," Ryou confirmed sharply. "Now either tell her you'll be back in a bit, or say goodbye. Dinner can't wait forever." He felt like an exasperated mother as he stalked back to the kitchen and began eating before Indou could catch up. He couldn't very well force the man to cut short his first venture into the World in nearly a year, during which a lot of dramatic things had happened, but he still didn't like the idea of someone else using his headset or computer, or even his chair for that matter. Thankfully that soon wouldn't be a problem, and maybe he could even move back in with his parents to lighten his financial load. The apartment would be very quiet after Indou left, and with no job he'd be spending a lot of time there, alone.

After a silent meal, Indou returned to the computer while Ryou did the dishes absentmindedly. Just as he was finishing, the older man left Ryou's bedroom to lie on the couch, mentioning offhandedly that the computer was free. Having nothing else to do, Ryou finished cleaning and logged on.

He was immediately greeted with an email from Shino.

"Haseo, Ovan talked to me earlier. I'm very happy to see him well, but what he told me about you troubles me. Your reaction to his return is not what I expected. He seems eager to forgive you, but that didn't stop him from describing how you've treated him since you first saw him in the real world—and even if he is willing to accept this treatment, I cannot."

Ryou grimaced at the screen, wondering when Shino had turned into such an imperious person. But then again, the Twilight Brigade had been a second family for all of them, and she probably just wanted them to get along better…

"I recall the night we visited ∆Hidden Forbidden Festival. You said what you intended to tell Ovan when he returned: 'Welcome back.' But Haseo, have you even told him that much? You had such a fond look on your face then, but now I think you are probably always scowling. What has changed?"

That ended the message. Ryou sat in silence for a few minutes, turning the thought over in his head. He had said that, back then, hadn't he? And he could almost remember how he had felt. There had been aching, knowing it could be a long time before he saw his old friend again, but also a sort of pride knowing Ovan had saved The World and still had the strength left to return. There hadn't been any of the resentment he felt now. What _had_ changed?

He left the bedroom with a sigh, not feeling up to playing at that moment. In the sitting room, Indou was sprawled on the sofa, sloppy-looking as ever. His eyes were closed, but Ryou couldn't be sure if he was still awake or not. Blushing hotly, trying not to think of how much his ego was wounded by admitting defeat, he bent over the back of the couch and muttered, "Welcome back, Ovan."

It wasn't until Ryou had skulked back into his own bedroom to kill monsters and let off some steam that Indou let a broad grin cross his face.


	5. Geek's Utopia

Omgyay, Tabby!! Possibly my favorite female character in this particular .hack chunk. She's smart as a brick but somehow manages to not get in the way all the freaking time, unlike other characters who should know better…cough cough Atoli. Plus she smooshes Saku (keeping her from hogging En) in Returner and that is neat. Yay neko! Too bad there wasn't much to write for her. There is however a delicious bit of fanservice in this chapter so that should make up for it.

**Geek's Utopia**

It took several days of on-and-off planning to decide on a place and time for the Twilight Brigade—sans Sakisaka—to reunite in the real world. Nanao Shino was busy with university, while Kubo Moe, Tabby's player, was working hard in high school, still pursuing her dream of studying nursing. Knowing the two of them were working so hard in school made Ryou ever more mindful of the fact that he had failed not only getting into university but getting a decent job; he felt like a deadbeat compared to them, though occasionally he would glance at Indou, sprawled on the couch or borrowing his computer, and feel better.

In the week between the completion of planning and the actual meet date, interactions between the two were still tense. Despite Ryou's small act of reconciliation, Indou had added more reason for resentment by spending at least half the day on Ryou's computer, invading his space and using his electricity. No small amount of embarrassment was present in the days following Ryou's official "welcome back", and the first actual back-and-forth they'd had since the incident had been Indou's suggestion of a guild reunion.

Ryou continued his job search, though he was running out of places to try. Most of the local places hiring had already rejected him or else required something more than a high school graduate with little job experience. The search was less frantic, though, with the knowledge that Indou was no longer dependent on him and could ostensibly fend for himself. A small part of him knew full well the scruffy but goodhearted man would be missed, and though it was violently squashed time and time again by the rest of his senses, it would still show up again the next time he contemplated the impending post-Indou situation.

He had to admit though, there were times when Ryou had peeked in at Indou engrossed with the computer screen, and apparently not playing The World but reading web pages filled with text. The newspapers Ryou brought home every few days often ended up in a different spot than he'd left them too. He couldn't help but wonder if his tenant was preparing for the move as well. It did put that nagging little part of his mind at some ease to think Indou would actually be ready for the evacuation and not simply kicked out on his ass.

The days passed slowly, but finally the meeting day came: a Saturday that dawned clear and slightly chilly, the sun quickly cutting swaths through the damp air. Squinting at the cloudless, pale sky through the apartment window, Ryou guessed it would be a relatively cool day for the summer months they had so recently entered. Lots of kids on break would be hitting up all the youth-geared hotspots—arcades, karaoke bars, the trendier cafes. He was glad they had decided to go to a real restaurant, even if it would be on the expensive side. He had the money to pay for himself and Indou, and Shino had graciously offered to pay for Moe, who didn't work as all her time was taken up by school followed by cram school.

Ryou had halfway finished dressing before he noticed Indou was already sitting at the computer, and probably had been the whole time. He wasn't typing or talking, and Ryou had been experiencing the tunnel vision of the freshly woken, so the sight of Indou hunched so serenely in front of the screen, hands poised unmoving over the keyboard, came as completely unexpected. Ryou yelped and quelled the instinct to dive under the covers of his bed for decency and safety.

"Oh, sorry," Indou replied absently, turning to look at him, though with the expression of someone preoccupied. Ryou was acutely aware that he was lacking a shirt and that he couldn't be sure it was his face Indou's gaze was directed at.

"What the hell are you doing online at a time like this? It's not even nine o'clock and I was still in bed! You could have at least said something when I got up and started… changing…" He could feel has whole face burning red.

"I didn't even notice you'd gotten up," Indou replied smoothly. His voice was as unreadable as his line of sight; he could easily have been lying or telling the truth, but Ryou couldn't tell. He decided to err on the side of caution and struggled into a shirt.

"Anyway," the man went on, turning back to the monitor, "Moe-chan says she'll have to leave early. Some evening plans got in the way, nothing interesting. I offered to move the meeting time up so she could spend more time with us, but she said having lunch any earlier than eleven would just be 'weird'."

"That's…a bummer," Ryou managed. He didn't _dis_like Tabby or her player, but he had never had a lot of tolerance for blind optimism and so her company could grate on him after a while. He couldn't say he was sorry to have her attendance shortened, since it would make her all the easier to bear.

"That's all. Oh, and after lunch I'm going to take a little trip to see Ina. It's a bit covert, our parents aren't too thrilled with me at the moment, but… well, there's an opportunity for me to see her without them getting in the way and making things difficult, so I have to take it. Shino says she would be fine spending the rest of the afternoon with just you."

The blush returned to Ryou's face. He had hardly seen Shino at all once she was conscious again; it was somehow more difficult to talk to her in person, and certainly more difficult than just visiting a comatose body (though the first few experiences of seeing the person behind the character had been a bit surreal). She could be intimidating, through all that softness.

Indou had turned off the computer and was heading out of the room, but he paused with the door half-closed behind him. "Now that I'm no longer bound to your hospitality, I would like to take this opportunity to say that not only do you have a very nice body, but it looks especially good when it's turned all pink."

The door was shut by the time Ryou was close enough to have punched him.

Indou and Ryou were the first to arrive at the restaurant around one, but they had barely ordered drinks when Shino came calmly striding to the table. She smiled at them both before sitting down gracefully. "Hello, fellow guild members. I'm so glad to see you're both doing well. Congratulations, Indou-san, on your new freedom."

Indou smiled back and struck up conversation while Ryou huddled in his seat. He was almost glad when Moe scampered over to join them, panting slightly and apologizing for her lateness.

They ate and talked for near an hour, mostly about CC Corp and new games. Moe scowled at the thought that any game could eclipse The World—understandable, since she lost her mentor to a lack of interest in the game. A quick glance at her watch sent her scurrying off again, leaving behind a cloud of more apologies and thanks to everyone, especially Shino. This was also the sign for Indou to leave, which he did in a much quieter manner. The two bill-payers were left at the table for four, staring at unfinished desserts.

"Well, now that it's just the two of us, I'd like to talk to you about something…" Shino began. Ryou found himself blushing for no particular reason. "It's of a romantic nature," she went on, and his embarrassment increased tenfold. Was Shino going to say she…? No, that was ridiculous, she'd had plenty of time alone with him to tell him that, and besides, she'd never shown any signs of jealousy towards the other girls who fawned over him…

"Don't look so embarrassed, it's about Indou, not me." It seemed as though Shino had read his mind. Was he really so obvious? Well, he did shower her with adoration and idolization from time to time, and he had devoted an incredible amount of time to saving her. Wait, did she say Indou?

"We have been talking a lot, and he's confided in me that, to put it gently, he's very fond of you. To be more accurate, he—"

"Wait, wait," Ryou sputtered, waving his hands helplessly. "I know he says some annoying things, but it's all a joke, right? It's just his weird way of telling me he respects me or something, right?"

Shino shook her head solemnly. "No, not right. He didn't explicitly tell me I couldn't reveal this to you, and I think he's beating around the bush far too much. You need to be told. He _loves_ you. I can't say why, since he didn't seem the type to me, but he keeps a lot of secrets…"

Ryou sat speechless, staring blankly at a crumpled napkin. "So all the times he's looked at me that way, he was really looking at me that way," he stated stupidly. He knew he should probably feel a little dirty, knowing Indou's stares had been pointedly looking through whatever he was wearing at the time, but it didn't bother him so much, somehow, knowing it was real affection, infatuation, and not some bizarre joke.

"I suppose so," Shino replied bemusedly, but Ryou was already fishing in his wallet for his portion of the bill. He left it on the table and walked out, giving Shino a stiff bow in lieu of words, and went straight back to the apartment. He sat at his computer for quite some time before composing a brief but much-edited email to Ovan. He sent it, went out for groceries, and when he returned, showered and crawled into bed. He hadn't been awake more than seven hours, but he already felt exhausted. He was deeply asleep by the time Indou came back in the evening, and didn't wake when the older man quietly entered the room and logged on.


	6. Grow Up

And this chapter is the last. Really, nothing else to say—just yet.

**Grow Up**

Ryou woke to a warmth against his back and a heavy weight causing the mattress to dip behind him. It took several moments for him to achieve full consciousness, during which he went from sleepy content to alarm, as an arm snaked its way around his chest.

"What the hell?!" he shrieked, pushing himself up and away from the intruder in his bed. He was only slightly surprised to see Indou lying propped on his elbow, looking abashed but mostly disappointed.

A long, painful silence stretched between them, with Ryou running the gamut of odd facial expressions.

Finally Indou spoke, his voice oddly normal and unconcerned. "I got your email," he said. Ryou's thoughts swam frantically for a moment before the events of the day came rushing back at him.

"Oh. …_Oh_. That email. Yeah, well, I mean, Shino was talking about you today and she said…" He stopped, forgetting what he was going to say. Indou had swung off the bed and stepped way too far into his personal space…

"It said everything that needs to be said…by you, in any case." Indou's tone was quiet and calm as usual, but he was standing not five or six centimeters from Ryou, who squirmed at the feeling of body heat radiating onto him. He didn't step away though; Indou's level gaze locked him in place.

"I'm sorry I wasn't more direct. I thought my feelings were clear, but apparently they weren't. Let me apologize and clarify things for you." Ryou sensed the change in Indou's demeanor a moment before being drawn into his embrace. He grunted in surprise, but still couldn't find it in him to move. Strong arms wove around him slowly and deliberately, pulling him close to nestle his head on Indou's shoulder. It was completely different from the ecstatic hug he'd been squeezed into when they first encountered one another, many months ago, but some of the same feelings still remained—protection, possession, and of course affection. He could scarcely believe now that he had been so oblivious all this time to Indou's true intentions. Even long-lost internet buddies didn't snuggle in the middle of the sidewalk.

Gradually, inexorably, Ryou returned the embrace, bringing his hands up to rest feather-light on Indou's shoulders. For a moment his spiny persona dissolved and he let his guard down—until Indou turned to breathe on his ear, and he was all prickles again.

"Whoa, hold it, take it easy!" he protested, struggling to pull away. "It took me five minutes to hug you, what makes you think I'm ready for you to be seducing me? You read the damn mail, I'm not letting you take total control of this relationsh—"

His words were useless and ultimately cut off, because while Ryou was busy tossing out protests Indou was scooping him closer, pressing their waists together, and finally doing the same with their lips. Ryou squeaked and tried to shove Indou's forehead away, but the larger man's grip on his head was firm. Realizing the futility of fighting back, he finally relaxed and let Indou take control. Over a year of bottled-up emotion deserved some premature making out in return, after all.

_Ovan._

_I finally figured out what you've been implying all this time. You're in love with me or something, right?_

_I have to be honest… Knowing that doesn't bother me as much as it should. Maybe because over the last few months you've started to look like more than a mentor to me. Maybe I've been drooling over you all along without realizing it. For a long time you were more of a shadowy figure than a person, but that's changed. And for a long time I both hated you and wished desperately you'd come back. That hate's gone now._

_So, since we've already started the whole domestic life thing…_

_How'd you like to move off that old couch and into my room?_

_-Haseo_

_PS – This is NOT permission to go and do creepy things to me while I sleep!_

---

Woohoo, that's that. I would like to note that while Ryou's email may seem a little off-beat for him, recall the emails you get to send in-game and you'll see that they tend to be much more composed than Ryou often acts. My guess is that it's easier to censure one's Teen Rage when writing rather than speaking.

By the by, if anyone has the desire to write anything following or stemming off of this fic, that's fine by me. I'd like to see it if you do. Sorry if it seems presumptuous, but it saves me possible question-answering later and you know how I am such a busy busy bee! Ha ha. Um, yes. Hope you enjoyed, please share your thoughts if you have any, and good night. *bow*


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